Serpens Amator
by Zippity-Doo-Da
Summary: Harry's long-lost Aunt Ginger has come back.... to teach at Hogwarts. She is to assist the Potions master. Will it be a disaster or a beautiful relationship? Could they really have a way to bring back Harry's parents? Crappy summary. rr! SSOC
1. Chapter 1

Serpens Amator  
  
A/N: I've noticed that there are a shortage of good Snape-fics. I don't know why, Snape is definitely my favorite character. All I can say is, all you Sevi-chan haters SUCK! Just kidding.  
  
Disclaimer- HP doesn't belong to me, Ginger and plot does, that's about it.  
  
*  
  
Prologue  
  
*  
  
Have you ever been in love? I mean drop-dead, home-run, out-of-the-ballpark sort of love? I have. It hurts, it hurts like nothing else I've ever felt before. Trust me, I've been hurt a lot in my life.  
  
Her name was Lily, a beautiful name for a beautiful lady, she was the loveliest thing I'd ever seen. She had long rose-red hair and the most gorgeous eyes that shone like newly-polished emeralds. She looked like a like a little doll, with her alabaster skin and rosy cheeks, and her hair in ringlets around her head. I miss her so much.  
  
I remember the first time I saw her, we were on our way to school. I was standing in the train station by my "friend" Lucius. She came bounding past, wind-blown and pink from the chilly temperature. She ran right into Lucius and knocked him right on his butt.  
  
He started yelling at her and going on and on about how she would pay for getting him dirty. She was all apologies and remorse. He was such a bastard to her, he wouldn't even listen to her.  
  
I regret not standing up for her that day. Backing her up when everyone around us was yelling at her. Oh Lily, why was I so blinded by Lucius that day. I'm so sorry.  
  
*  
  
Chapter 1  
  
*  
  
"Are you sure about this, Ginge? I mean, this would take you closer to. well, you know, won't it?"  
  
"Oh Aidan, quit worrying! I'll be perfectly fine. You forget, I'm a big girl."  
  
"Ginger, you know I can't help but worry about you. I don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to you."  
  
Ginger smiled at Aidan and rubbed his cheek with the pad of her thumb. "You know. I have that same thought every time you step onto that Quidditch field. I thought I would die when you played Bulgaria in the World Cup." She stopped and hugged him. "Don't worry. I'll be fine."  
  
Aidan looked highly doubtful, but nodded anyway, sighing heavily. "You'd better get your things together."  
  
She grinned and hugged him tight. "Thanks for the support, It means so much to me."  
  
He shrugged. "I've got to get to practice. See you later." He kissed her on the cheek and left in a hurry, barely remembering to grab his broom on the way out.  
  
Ginger Amaryllis Evans watched her fiancée's retreating back and sighed heavily. This opportunity meant so much to her, but so did he. She knew he was only saying that he was okay with it to make her feel better. She shook her head and glanced back down at the letter she had clasped in her small hand.  
  
Dear Ms. Evans,  
  
I am owling you to ask that you come to Hogwarts this year to assist our Potions master, Professor Severus Snape. We feel that our help will be greatly needed and appreciated. Please take it into consideration and send word of your decision.  
  
Sincerely,  
  
Albus Dumbledore  
  
Headmaster  
  
She dropped the thick parchment onto the desk and ran a hand through her long, red hair. Then began to write.  
  
Professor Dumbledore,  
  
I would be pleased to assist your Potions master in the coming school year.  
  
Sincerely,  
  
Ginger Amaryllis Evans  
  
Ginger neatly folded up the letter and sealed it, tying it to the leg of the very same owl that had delivered the original message. "Hogwarts, and hurry."  
  
She watched the graceful creature fly off into the setting sun until it was nothing but a speck on the golden horizon.  
  
Ginger shook her head. Aidan just didn't understand. Sure he was from the UK but he'd grown up in the place where he was born. He didn't understand how she felt. England was her homeland, her birthplace and the only place she felt safe.  
  
The safe part she didn't understand. England was where she had almost died, where her parents were killed right in front of her face, where You-Know- Who had murdered her big sister.  
  
She dropped down into the huge, purple, over-stuffed chair under the window, she could feel the tears welling up behind her eyes.  
  
"Oh Lily. I need your help. If only you were here." She choked up, the tears coming forward and streaming down her face. "Help me, Lils, help me."  
  
She buried her face in her hands and sobbed, her shoulders quaking from the force. She just cried and cried and cried. She cried for all the times she hadn't cried after her parents were murdered, for the nephew she had never known about until now, for her sister, for her brother-in-law, for. herself.  
  
She cried herself straight into the arms of Morpheus, God of Dreams, and slept.  
  
*  
  
"Ginger. Ginger.. Where are you?" a familiar voice called to her, a teenage- girls' voice.  
  
She giggled, and crouched lower behind the bush. Her sister would never find her here.  
  
"Ginger! Mom said dinner's ready! Spaghetti, your favorite!"  
  
Ginger knew that trick, Lily was just trying to lure her out. Lily was mad that Ginger was so good at hiding, Lily could never find her.  
  
"Ginger Amaryllis Evans! Get yourself out here this instant! I'll sic Petty on you!"  
  
Lily was tricking her, she knew it. But the threat of getting their oldest sister Petunia was too much. "Lily! I'm right here!" Ginger darted out of the bushes and made a bee-line for her beautiful older sister.  
  
"Well there you are sweetheart! I thought I'd never find you!" her older sister scooped her up and spun her in a circle, hugging her tight. Ginger felt so safe.  
  
"I was in the bushes." Ginger bragged. "I knew you'd never find me there!" She grinned her gap-toothed grin, she was missing her two front, top teeth.  
  
"Well, looks like you were right!" Lily smiled at her, hugging her tighter. "I missed you so much this year." Lily had just gotten back from her last year at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, Ginger was glad she was home now.  
  
"I missed you too, Lily."  
  
Ginger's older sister ruffled her hair and kissed her cheek. "I love you Gin."  
  
"I love you too."  
  
*  
  
Ginger awoke later, her eyes crusted shut from the tears that had dried to her eyelashes. She felt so empty, so hollow, like a cicada shell after the cicada has abandoned it. That dream about her sister had been so real, she felt like she was five years old again and Lily had just gotten home from school, for good this time.  
  
There was no way that little Ginger could have know that within six months, her beloved and idolized older sister would be taken away again. She married James Potter on Halloween that same year. A year and half later, just after Ginger's nephew was born, first her parents then Lily and James, were taken away, for good this time.  
  
She remembered so vividly the day her Aunt Daisy had come to get her, take her to America, to New York, to a life away from her home. That was why she had to go back, that was why she had to go and protect her only family left from the same man who had murdered Lily. She had to be with Lily's son, and yes, even her oldest sister and her family. Aidan didn't understand, he never would.  
  
Ginger wiped the sandman from her eyes groggily. "What time is it? How long was I out?" she wondered. She glanced at the digital clock on the end- table. The glowing red letters read "9:45" Ginger had been asleep for six hours. She smoothed her hair out, and stood up, groaning as her cramped muscles un-cramped themselves. "Where's Aidan?" She didn't see him and his broom wasn't in it's usual resting place by the door. "He should be home by now."  
  
She walked down the hall. "Aidan.?" she called out. "Aidan.? Are you home?" She heard a crash from the front yard, then a hysterical laugh. She hurried to the living room and opened the door. "Aidan.?"  
  
Sure enough, there he was. He had obviously crashed into the front yard. Ginger rushed out to him, lifting him up off the wet grass. She took one look at his blood-shot eyes and knew it. He was stone drunk.  
  
"Aidan Patrick Lynch!" she cried, outraged. "What the hell has gotten into you!?"  
  
"Aw, G-gingy." He hiccupped. "I was ju-jus havin fu-fun with the t-team." He could barely talk he was hiccupping so hard.  
  
Ginger gave him a stern look. "I don't believe this, I didn't think you were this dumb." She managed to scrape him off the yard and drag him onto their couch. "You can sleep there tonight." She said angrily. She looked at him, he hadn't heard a word of it and didn't seem to care about the couch, he was fast asleep.  
  
She sleepily crawled into bed and fell fast asleep, yet again.  
  
*  
  
She awoke the next morning to a tapping on her window. She brushed her long hair out of her eyes and looked around, eyes blurry.  
  
An owl was tapping on her window. "What the hell.?" she grumbled "Dumbledore couldn't have answered that quickly." She rolled out of bed, suddenly every aware of her rumbled, tear-stained clothing that reeked of cheap ale. "Ugh." she made a mental note to take a long shower very soon.  
  
She opened the window and let the rather large bird in. It dropped a thick parchment letter into her lap then pecked her hand. She rubbed the barn owl's head and picked the letter up.  
  
Dear "Professor" Evans,  
  
We are proud to welcome you to the Hogwarts faculty. We are looking forward to seeing you . Enclosed are a list of what you will need plus what is expected of you. You will be staying in the extra Slytherin housing. Please be at Platform 9¾ on June the 6th so that we can transport you to the school.  
  
Sincerely,  
  
Albus Dumbledore  
  
Headmaster  
  
June 6th! That was in two days! She had to get packing! She glanced at the list of supplies. She had to go get some of this stuff. Like a cauldron, new robes, more parchment, ink and some of the rarer ingredients. That meant. she had to leave for London today!  
  
"Jesus! I have to get moving." She looked at the clock. "8:17" "Good, that means I have time."  
  
She grabbed her suitcase and began throwing clothes and personal effects into it. She was digging through her nightclothes when she came across Aidan's favorite nightie, a black-red confection of shimmery silk and sheer lace. She looked at it a moment, as if considering, then quickly shoved it back into the drawer.  
  
"What the hell am I thinking? When am I going to need that!?" She shook her head, blushing. She stood for a moment then lifted the sexy negligee out of the drawer and shoved it into the suitcase. "Might as well, it's comfortable." She blushed even redder.  
  
She ran into the bathroom and started the shower running, then turned it off again. "Why am I taking a shower now? I'll just get sooty from the floo anyway." She grabbed her make-up bag and toothbrush and ran back into the bed room. She began to shove things into her suitcase but realized there was too much in it already. "Oh hell. I think I'm gonna need another bag."  
  
She got down on her hands and knees and looked under the bed, she crawled under further, she couldn't see anything through the darkness. "It's under here somewhere.." She felt around with her hand until it came into contact with what felt like worn carpet, "Ah-ha!"  
  
But alas, before she could safely extract herself out form under the bed, she heard moaning behind her and someone name muttering her name. She was so surprised that she lifted up her head, meaning to see what was going on, and knocked it on the underside of their box-spring,  
  
"ARGGG! GODDAMN THAT HURT!" She cried irritably. She drug herself out from underneath the bed and looked up to see Aidan standing in the doorway. "What?"  
  
"Where's the Tylenol? My head hurt's like .." it seemed to dawn on him that all of her things were going into suitcases. "What are you doing?"  
  
Ginger looked at all of her things. "Oh this? I'm packing silly."  
  
"I can see that, Ginger. I mean why are you packing?"  
  
"Uh, me, teacher, Hogwarts, England. Ring any bells?"  
  
"Right." He sighed. "But there is still two months before school starts?!"  
  
"They wanted me there early to get settled."  
  
"Oh." he looked down at her with huge blue eyes that made her want to hug the life out of him.  
  
"Aidan.' she warned. "Don't you give me that look. You won't change my mind. I'm going to do this" She sighed. "No. I have to do this. Please understand."  
  
"That's the problem, Gin. I don't understand! Why Don't you tell me why you are so anxious to leave me!"  
  
"Don't start with me Aidan." she said softly, her dark eyes locking with his light ones.  
  
"You know what? I'm so tired of that! "don't start with me!" I want some answers and you are not leaving here until I get some!" He grabbed onto her arms and yanked her up to face him. "Start talking."  
  
Her eyes teared, he had an extremely strong grip. All his years as a Quidditch Seeker had given him very strong hands. "Aidan. you're hurting me!"  
  
He looked at his hands around her arm and released her in shock. "Oh god." She back up away from him, clutching her upper arm. He walked toward her.  
  
"No! Stop right there!" The look on her face made him want to die.  
  
"Ginger! I'm so sorry. I didn't realize what I was doing."  
  
She was crying again, more from shock than from pain. She was used to pain. "That's the problem! You never realize anything!" She sat down on the bed and looked up at him. "I'm going because of my family. I only have three living relatives and it makes me feel better to be near them. I feel the need to protect my sister Lily's son since I couldn't protect her."  
  
Aidan sat down on the bed next to her. "Gin, you were only 7 when they died, there was nothing you could do!"  
  
"I know that!"  
  
"Don't tell me you blame yourself.."  
  
"I don't. I just don't want to let my sister down."  
  
"Baby, your sister's dead."  
  
"That doesn't mean she can't see me."  
  
Aidan slipped an arm around her and held her to his chest. "I didn't even think about the family situation. All I was thinking about was myself. I'm so sorry, sweetheart."  
  
She looked up at him with teary eyes. "I don't want to leave you, but I have to. As I told you before, it's just something I have to do."  
  
He nodded and brushed soft curls away from her face. "I'll go with you and see you off. How about that?"  
  
She smiled. "I'd like that."  
  
"Well, I'd better pack as well. I'll tell coach that I'll be missing practice for a couple of days."  
  
"Alright. Get packing."  
  
*  
  
The next two days were a blissful round of shopping, eating and shagging. Ginger enjoyed herself immensely. It seemed as if Aidan was refusing to leave her side. They had gotten a rather nasty letter from his Quidditch coach. Coach Bartholomew was rather hacked off at Aidan for ditching practice, he didn't think it was professional.  
  
Aidan really couldn't have cared less. He shrugged it off easily and kissed her mumbling something about his coach "having something foul shoved up his you-know-where." All Ginger could do was giggle about that. Secretly, she agreed with him. Coach B. was an uptight, unhappy little man.  
  
Those days had been so wonderful, she hadn't wanted them to end. But, the 6th came and she had to leave Aidan and head off to Hogwarts.  
  
When she arrived the platform was almost deserted, there were a few teachers roaming around, putting their luggage away. Aidan came through the barrier after her and almost knocked her over.  
  
"Whoa, sorry bout that!" He grinned sheepishly then helped her up.  
  
She turned and wrapped her arms about his neck. "God, I'm going to miss you so much." He hugged her tight to him and kissed the top of her head.  
  
"Ditto, little one, ditto." When they separated, he looked down on her and smiled. "I love you Ginger."  
  
"Love you too, Aidan." The couple smiled sadly at each other and parted ways.  
  
*  
  
Ginger watched mournfully as Aidan disappeared back through the barrier. She didn't want to leave him. She sighed and turned around. The great red engine that Lily had described to her so many years ago had been reduced to one car where all the arriving teachers could chat. Ginger looked around, recognizing some of them from long-ago descriptions. An older lady with a tight bun, a tiny man win too-big robes, a rather rosy witch with a mop of flyaway hair, and a younger man with black hair and a hooked nose. A wave of regret flowed over her like water. She had never gotten to experience Hogwarts, after her family was killed she had attended the institute in Salem.  
  
No one paid her any heed. So she sat down quietly and began reading. This was going to be a long ride.  
  
* * *  
  
Author's Note: So? What you think? I know it seems like there was no Snapie- kins in this chapter but there was, the prologue was don in his POV, if you couldn't tell. So, ya'll like Ginger. She was pretty whiny in this chap, but she'll get better. BTW, boyfriend Aidan is the Aidan Lynch from the Irish Quidditch team. Reviews! I need input!  
  
BE A RESPONSIBLE READER AND REVIEW! 


	2. Chapter 2

Serpens Amator  
  
A/N: Well, it's been over a year since I've written on this story. Guess I'd better get around to it, no? I went back and edited the first chapter. I realized parts of it sounded kinda dumb and it wasn't clear who Aidan was. Okie dokie, it's fixed now so… here goes.  
  
*  
  
Chapter 2  
  
*  
  
The train came to a screeching halt and Ginger was jolted straight from her seat on the train, it was a rather abrupt awakening. She looked around, most of the other professors were looking at her. The book she had been reading went flying when the train stopped. It appeared to have whacked one man right in the shin. Ginger looked up at him. He was reasonably young but his sallow skin made him look much older. He had shoulder-length black hair and a hook nose. He was sneering at her most unpleasantly.  
  
"I-I'm sorry." She winced, waiting to get scolded. "I must have dozed…" She retrieved her book and turned to pick up her shoulder-bag.   
  
"I feel sorry for the people who get stuck with you… You'll probably knock something over and kill them all."  
  
Ginger was outraged. "Hey!" She turned to see the sneering man. "That was un-called-for! It was an accident, not to mention it wasn't my fault. You want to blame someone, blame the person driving the train."  
  
The man shrugged. "You the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?"  
  
"No… I'm supposed to be assisting the Potions professor."  
  
The man looked shocked then groaned. "Longbottom and now this, Dumbledore's trying to kill me."  
  
It all clicked. "YOU'RE THE POTIONS MASTER?!" ~Oh, dear.~ she thought. ~I've done it this time.~  
  
"Yes… I am." His sneer grew even more unpleasant. "Now if you excuse me, I'm going to go before you maim me." With that, he left, his black cloak and robes flying like bat's wings.  
  
"Erg…. He is certainly an unhappy man." She shuddered at the thought of having to work with him for the entire year. Ginger gathered her things then stepped off the train. So much for a good opportunity.  
  
*  
  
"Your room is down in the dungeons, I hope you don't mind. Since the Professor Snape is head of Slytherin house, we thought it best if we put you down where he could contact you easily."   
  
Ginger groaned inwardly but forced a smile. "Yes, that does make sense."  
  
"Here we are."   
  
The woman speaking was very pleasant. She was an older woman with a tight graying bun. She wore glasses and green robes. Ginger couldn't remember her name but she knew it was Mc-something.  
  
The other woman opened the door to the rooms and Ginger stepped inside. Stepped inside and stopped dead in her tracks. She never imagined it would be like this.  
  
The rooms were very large and were decorated in purple, white and silver. Comfy armchairs and stuffed bookshelves flanked the stone fireplace. A desk made of dark wood stood against the far wall. But the bed was the most amazing part. It was hue and fluffy, covered in pillows. It was a four-poster and was draped in filmy, silver fabrics that danced and shimmered in the firelight, casting little silver flecks around the room. It was a sight to see.  
  
"The desk is fully supplied with ink, parchment… the usual. The adjoining bathroom is through that door." The woman pointed to a door across the room. "I'm sure you want to get settled, so I'll take me leave." With that she walked out and closed the door.  
  
Ginger looked mischievously around. Dropping her bags she ran across the room and dived onto the bed. Sinking into the soft feather-mattress, she sighed. "Ah… this is the life." Grinning, she bounced off the bed and spotted her trunks. "Wow… good service."   
  
Ginger set about unpacking. By the time she was done, she was so exhausted that it was all she could do to drag herself off to bed.  
  
*  
  
A loud rapping awoke her the next morning. Groggily, Ginger lifted her head. "What the…" The rapping continued, louder this time. She realized that it was someone knocking on her door. "Hold on, hold on. I'm coming." She shouted, unhappy about being woken up. "Geez…" she grumbled. "I am not a morning person." She opened the door, trying to focus on who it was.   
  
"Well… That's a nice outfit you've got on there." The person was none other that Professor I'm-a-grumpy pants Snape.   
  
"Wha…" Ginger looked down that back up, eyes wide and face red with embarrassment. She had forgotten that she was wearing just her panties and a tank top. "Oh!" She quickly reached to grab her silk robe that she had hung next to the door. Slipping into it she asked "What do you want?"  
  
"We need to… uh… do lesson plans for the coming school year." He was obviously embarrassed by the situation as well.  
  
"At…" she looked at the clock on the wall. "7 in the morning?"  
  
"Better safe than sorry."  
  
"What the hell? That makes no sense."  
  
"Alright, I'll spell it out for you American mind to comprehend. Better to work out all kinks now than to discover problems once the school year starts."  
  
"We have two months to do this and your waking me up at a god awful hour to do LESSON PLANS!"   
  
"Yes."  
  
"Whatever. Let me get dressed."  
  
*  
  
The days went on like that, through June into July and finally to August. Ginger would be woken up early by Snape, she would get angry and then she would avoid him until the next morning. It was quite a tiresome cycle.  
  
"Can I go? I really don't give a rat's ass about this."  
  
"Too bad. Now, for Veritaserum…"  
  
Ginger sighed. "Buh-bye." She picked up her things and left.  
  
"Of all the nerve…" Snape was really hacked off. "Can't even spend two hours doing this." He ran a hand through his hair and put down the lesson plan. Why did Dumbledore always have to do this to him? Why? He'd been a good teacher these past years? Hadn't he? He'd helped the order, too. He didn't deserve to have to put up with such an upstart. Although… There was something about her that was very familiar. He felt like he'd met her before. Somewhere…. She even looked familiar, with her red hair and green eyes… Those eyes… They were just like…. Hers…..   
  
Snape snapped himself out of it. "No, can't be." He gathered up his appears and headed off to his office.  
  
*  
  
The school year finally started in September. Ginger was immensely relieved that it wouldn't just be her and dear Snapey all the time. She shook her head and donned her favorite dress robes. They were cream colored and rather unconventional. They were fitted at the waist with a pearl-studded bodice. The sleeves were off-the-shoulder while the skirt was rather full. It made swishy noises when Ginger moved, that was why she liked it so much. "Swishy, swishy, swishy…." Ginger giggled. "Swishy!" More giggles. "Ginger Amaryllis Evans… You go and knock their socks off. Especially old Snape." She blew a kiss to herself and headed out the door with her matching hat.  
  
When she arrived in the Great Hall, the older students were already starting to file in to sit at their house tables. From her perch next to Snape at the Head Table, she could see them reasonably well. She kept her eyes peeled for the nephew that had no idea she existed. She knew that he looked like James, her late brother-in-law, he probably wouldn't be hard to spot. Dumbledore had told her a lot about him and what he had done these past years at school. Looked like James but had eyes just like Lily, the eyes that Ginger also possessed. Big, bright and clear green.  
  
She sighed, Dumbledore had asked her to wait until she had him in class to approach him. Ginger wished so much to run up to him the minute she spotted him, hug him to death and tell him that she wouldn't let anything happen to her big sister's little boy. Well, maybe not little boy, he was 16 after all.  
  
She knew the minute he walked in. Harry was with two people, a girl with lots of bushy brown hair and a tall red-headed boy. She could only guess that these were Ron and Hermione, Dumbledore had told her about them too.  
  
By the gods… he did look like James. Exactly, he even moved like him. He had that same I-think-I'm-invincible aura around him. Harry was definitely James' son.  
  
"I see you've found him." Snape said to her.  
  
"What are you talking about?" She was confused.  
  
"Our little superstar, Mr. Potter." he said snidely. It made Ginger want to smack him.  
  
"Yeah, whatever." She ignored him.   
  
"Watch our for him, he thinks the rules don't apply to him."  
  
"And who the hell are you to judge him? What, you have a school-boy grudge against his father or something?" she whispered scathingly. Ginger didn't realize how well she had hit the nail on the head.  
  
Snape didn't say another word, and turned away from her.   
  
"Thank God." she mumbled under her breath.  
  
The Sorting went on uneventfully, except on boy didn't get into the house he wanted and burst out crying. ~Does it really matter that much?~ Ginger wondered.  
  
Dumbledore got up, made a speech and then the tables filled with food. Such food… ~Yummy!~ Ginger dug in and ate with relish. She'd been starving all day.   
  
*  
  
"Hey, did you notice we have two new teachers this year?" Hermione asked Harry.   
  
"Do we?" Harry looked up at the Head table and sure enough, in addition to all the normal teachers, there were two more. A man and a woman. The woman looked oddly… familiar. She was very pretty, not gorgeous, but still pretty. She had the longest hair Harry had ever seen. It was red, a couple shades darker than Ron's, and fell in little ringlets that spilled all around out from under her pointed hat. She was dressed in cream dress robes, they looked very nice on her. Harry smiled.  
  
"Wow, look at the lady next to Snape!" Seamus exclaimed. "I wonder who she is."  
  
"I don't know. Maybe she's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher…" Hermione speculated.  
  
"Why do we have an extra teacher?" Neville asked nervously. "We aren't going to have to take another class are we?" He sounded panicked.  
  
"We don't know, Neville. I guess we'll find out, won't we?" Ron was still staring at her.  
  
"Put your tongue back in your mouth, Ron." Hermione said, laughing.  
  
"What… oh…" Ron blushed and took his eyes off the new teacher.  
  
Harry laughed at him and looked back up at the woman. So familiar…. He couldn't place who she looked like. But he knew he'd seen her somewhere before. Somewhere….  
  
*  
  
Ginger stood in the font of the class, writing the Potions instructions on the board in her swirly handwriting. Professor Snape was sitting at his desk, flipping through some papers.  
  
"Plotting revenge on the students already are you?" Ginger asked playfully.  
  
"Of course. It's my purpose, what I live for."  
  
Ginger turned and gave him a strange look. "That's kind of sad…"  
  
"They make my life hell. It's the least I can do to return the favor."  
  
Something inside her went out to him, he must have had a hard life to be so bitter. She finished her writing and sat on the edge of the desk. "What happened to you?"  
  
Snape looked up at her. "What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean that no one is that cynical all on their own."  
  
"Sure they are. I am…"  
  
"Whatever you say Professor."  
  
Snape opened his mouth to say something but in that same moment the bell rang and the students started filing in. It was, coincidentally, Harry's class, the 6th year Slytherins and Gryffindors. Snape just shook his head and got up from his desk. He stood in the front of the class, looking like some kind of ghost or something, glaring darkly at everyone except Draco Malfoy.  
  
~This is going to be wonderful.~ Ginger thought. ~Peachy-freaking-keen.~  
  
"Well…" Snape started. "This is Professor Evans. She will be assisting in Potions classes this year."   
  
Ginger stepped forward and waved. "Hello." she said quietly.  
  
Snape continued. "Today we will be making…."  
  
Ginger didn't hear anything he said after that, she was watching Harry without realizing it. He was whispering to the red-haired boy she had seen last night. The two obviously had a great dislike for the Potions master. Ginger smiled a little, that was one thing they had in common.  
  
*  
  
Ron started whispering to Harry the moment they walked in and saw the pretty red-haired woman in the Potions class.  
  
"What is she doing helping Snape?"  
  
"How do I know?"  
  
"Wow… Lucky Snape."  
  
"What?!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"I said, Lucky Snape. He gets to hang around with her all day."  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes. "You're ridiculous."  
  
"Hey! Remember Lockhart?" Hermione turned red. "Yeah, you have no room to talk."  
  
"He got you there, Herm." Harry said, laughing  
  
Hermione mumbled something under her breath.  
  
"What was that, Moine?" Ron asked sweetly.  
  
"Oh nothing, Ronniekins." Hermione replied just as sweetly.  
  
Harry chuckled. His two friends were always at it lately. Their conversation was interrupted when the teacher in question walked up to them.  
  
"Did you hear the instructions?"  
  
Harry looked up and stopped short. He was looking into his own eyes, except they belonged to another. She had the same bright green eyes he saw every time he looked in the mirror.   
  
Ginger was shocked as well. When they said he had Lily's eyes, she thought they meant they were green. But looking into them was like looking at Lily again. Ginger felt a wave of sadness pass over her. Harry had the exact same eyes as her beloved older sister, exactly.  
  
Harry was the first to recover. "You… you look like…"  
  
Ginger stopped him short, forcing cheeriness into her voice. "The directions are on the board, I'd make sure to do it properly. I think Professor Snape has something particularly nasty planned for you all." With that, she walked away.   
  
"What the bloody hell was that all about, Harry?" Ron asked, curious.  
  
"She… Her…. Her eyes… They…."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"They're mine."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"They're exactly the same as mine."  
  
"Okay…"  
  
"They are! I've never seen anyone with those eyes besides me… and my mother." Harry was confused and shocked.   
  
"C'mon Harry. Let's just make our stupid potion."  
  
*  
  
A/N: Likie, no likie? GIVE ME FEEDBACK, DARNIT! Lol, kidding. Reviews would be very nice! C'mon people. How much energy does it take to write a couple words?  
  
BE A RESPONSIBLE READER AND REVIEW! 


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